Modern Milk: breastfeeding support and “hip” hangout for moms

    Modern Milk, Scottsdale, Stephanie Nguyen, Photo by Tac Coluccio
    Modern Milk owner Stephanie Nguyen with an artist’s rendering of her plans. Photo by Tac Coluccio.

    As a hospital labor and delivery nurse, Stephanie Nguyen observed all types of pregnancies and births. She enjoyed coaching new moms, offering breastfeeding tips and soothing cranky infants.

    But she started feeling like there was something missing during the transition from birth to bringing home a bundle of joy. She wanted to bridge the gap between hospital-supervised breastfeeding after birth and the at-home nursing struggles many new moms experience.

    “I was a post-partum nurse, a labor and delivery nurse and a high-risk anti-partum nurse,” says Nguyen. “But even after working in all those different areas, I still felt like there was just not the support needed for breastfeeding. Your OB doesn’t really help you. The pediatrician doesn’t really do much to help you. So I started my own business.”

    Modern Milk is a new-mom support system that offers much more than lactation consultation. Located near Scottsdale and Thunderbird roads in Scottsdale, it offers assistance to pre- and postnatal moms with breastfeeding issues and infant-care concerns. Moms can also take mom/tot yoga classes or shop for new designer diaper bags—all in one convenient and decidedly hip environment, with soft lighting and a calming teal-and-white color scheme.

    “Modern Milk is essentially three businesses in one,” says Nguyen. “We have the lactation business, so I see patients here for breastfeeding help. I also do in-home consults. Then we have our fitness and education classes. And last we have the retail. A lot of our retail items are geared toward breastfeeding, newborn sleep [support], carriers—convenience products to make things easier [for moms].”

    After recently celebrating Modern Milk’s first anniversary, Nguyen announced plans to expand her store and an enhanced repertoire of classes.

    “With the expansion, there will also be a child-care area so moms can take classes. We’ll have a lounge area where moms can socialize or nurse or help kids get ready to take a class.” The area will include a Mama’s Cold Brew Café. 13802 N. Scottsdale Road. 480-999-1585 or  modernmilk.com.